Last night was the debut performance of the new musical Rubbish - it's the brain-child of a chap called Damian Reynolds, and I'm writing the book (which is musical theatre talk for 'the non-singy bits'). I hadn't been to any rehearsals, had only heard a few of the songs, and so I turned up at 3pm yesterday not knowing what to expect. And I was overwhelmed - a massive theatre, with a very impressive set, a band of saxs and trumpets and guitars and drums and keyboards, several of each, and impressively a cast of very talented singers and dancers, many of them West End veterans.

After a dress rehearsal, we did it for real in front of a paying audience. I haven't done the bulk of my part of the process yet, so I narrated/warmed-up, just to link between the songs, and I was well-received, which was a pleasant surprise, as I didn't know how an audience there for the musical would take to having a comedian there too.

The cast and crew were lovely people, and I only wish I'd been in on rehearsals too. It reminded me how much fun it can to be part of an ensemble. Stand-up can be a lonely job! Yes there's camaraderie, but that only goes so far. There's something about singing and dancing together that's fun, uplifting and unites you with the others. Lucky buggers. Well not lucky - talented. Well done them.

Anyway, Rubbish The Musical will debut properly in Edinburgh this August. Go see. And I don't just say that cos I'm involved in it. The songs are actually very good (it's quite tongue-in-cheek - more Little Shop of Horrors/Rocky Horror Show than Les Miserables...), and the production values are first-class. Makes you realise that when doing a solo show in Edinburgh, it's not really enough to just walk out in front of a black curtain and talk for an hour, to justify charging a tenner for it. The ante has been upped, folks. Edinburgh-bound people - put a bit of love into your show, and spend a bit of time making it a 'show' rather than a 'gig'.

For more info, song snippets, etc, check out the Rubbish website - http://www.rubbishthemusical.com/

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